Advice on Civil War Battlefields

[Pete Longstreet]

I have never visited a Civil War battlefield, but plan to this summer or fall. Any recommendations for a first timer? I live in Connecticut, so should I start at Gettysburg since its probably the closest in proximity to where I live? If time permits, I might try and do a couple of battlefields this year. So any recommendations is greatly appreciated. Thanks members. Joe.

 

[kitty o'cairre]

Great Question!

 

[Kurt G]

Gettysburg would be a great starting point . There is a lot to see and the museum and cyclorama are very nice .Also , you would be fairly close to Antietam and Harper's Ferry .

 

[Ole Miss]

Shiloh, the best perserved battlefield, is a must stop for any civil war enthusiast and student. A little out of the way, yet one of the most important battles that was fought in the ACW.
Good luck on your travels and enjoy learning about the brave men who for their country.
Regards
David

 

[John Winn]

I second Gettysburg and Antietam; both important battles with good visitor's centers and lots to see. Fredericksburg is interesting also and I liked seeing the old trench works at Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor (although those last two are small and a bit out of the way).

 

[PapaReb]

Since you're close to Gettysburg that would be a no brainer...I hope to get there someday. If you could make vacation plans for a trip South, I would also recommend Vicksburg. Just a personal opinion, I consider those to be the two most decisive points in the defeat of the Confederacy.

 

[Wallyfish]

I would spend 2-3 days at Gettysburg. I would take a day to see Harper's Ferry and Antietam. All three sites are beautiful.

Now at Gettysburg, I would invest in a Gettysburg battlefield guide for as many hours as you can afford. You will be rewarded by an excellent narrative. On Gettysburg, I recommend a good guidebook. I really like the Complete Gettysburg Guide by J.D. Petruzzi. That book has maps on the battle itself, but it also includes stops on field hospitals, rock carvings, historic buildings, and details on both the National Cemetery and the adjacent Evergreen Cemetery. Read the guidebook BEFORE your visit. That book gives plenty advice on seeing interesting things not on most Gettysburg tours.

Gettysburg Stone sentinels is a website that gives a lot of detail. It is a great resource if you want to find specific monuments, markers and historic buildings.

I have done Harper's Ferry and Antietam in one day several times. You can spend a lot more time at Antietam but seeing the sunken Lane and Burnsides Bridge are the highlights.

Obviously CWT is a valuable resource as well. Now if you think Gettysburg is all you need for a CW battlefield. You have Nearby Philadelphia, Baltimore and D.C. That has world class historic sites for history buffs.

 

[Kurt G]

Another excellent guide to Gettysburg is "A Field Guide to Gettysburg" by Carol Reardon and Tom Vossler .

 

[Kurt G]

Reardon and Vossler also did "A Field Guide to Antietam." I think both of these guides would be very helpful to a first time visitor .Each stop is broken down into a series of segments ; "Orientation" , "What happened here?" , "Who fought here?" , "Who commanded here?" , "Who fell here ?", etc.

 

[Wallyfish]

Another excellent guide to Gettysburg is "A Field Guide to Gettysburg" by Carol Reardon and Tom Vossler .

I agree. I don't have their Antietam book but I do have their Gettysburg book. It is well written and focuses on the battle itself. If you want only Battle action on a tourbook, then this is the book. Petruzzi's book spends far less time on the Battle action. Although it does have sufficient Battle action tour stops with good maps. But J.D.'s book spends more time on things that are related to the battle but not Battle specific.

Being an ex geology major, I like rocks and Gettysburg has plenty of rocks, some with rock carvings that I think are really cool to find. He points out many carvings as well as interesting graves in both the National Cemetery. So his book offers different things to see than many Gettysburg Battle tour books.

Owning both books is a great way to better understand Gettysburg without a lot of redundancy.

Gettysburg has many authors who have written guide books on specific areas of the battlefield. Most of those are great resources. On my hundreds of trips to Gettysburg, I have devoted entire days to specific areas, such as The Peach Orchard, Rose Farm/Wheatfield etc.

But early on in the visit, I always recommend hiring a Gettysburg licensed guide. They offer a great perspective and afterwards, you can visit areas of your choosing utililizing field guide books.

I see far too many people just wondering over the battlefield randomly and never really learning much. Such a waste.

 

[gjpratt]

Before my first visit to Gettysburg, I read every book I could find (and afford). And I hired a guide for a day, which I agree is mandatory. This was a very profound and meaningful battlefield experience. I still get goosebumps thinking about the goosebumps I had when I first saw the Roundtops as I drove up the old Emmitsburg Rd. On my second trip, I took William Frassinito's Gettysburg: A Journey in Time, that compares contemporary photographs immediately after the battle with photographs of the same sites at present. Looking at the period photos while standing at the same spot made for a meaningful experience on a different level.

 

[Wallyfish]

Indeed Frassinito's then/now photo books were groundbreaking. I always visit the Rose Farm Split Rock area (see my avatar) after seeing it in Frass's books.

A more recent then/now photo book is Jack Kunkel's A Gettysburg photo tour. It isn't ground breaking like Frassinito's work but it does provide GPS coordinates of the historic photo locations. I don't know if a first time visitor would want to invest much time in a then/now photo tour. But 20 minutes in the Split Rock are is well worth the time effort. All of the photos below are within steps of The Split Rock.

 

[James N.]

The only trouble with going first to Gettysburg is that it's SO overwhelming it's both difficult to get a grip on and could easily make every other subsequent battlefield a letdown. A more laid-back experience could be had at, say, nearby Antietam or Monocacy where there aren't as many "distractions"! Manassas would also be a good starter, except for the location and spillover traffic from the D.C. Megalopolis; most of the actual battlefield is pristine, once you can actually get onto it. Most Civil War battlefields can easily be visited in a half-day or more, but as already noted there's really too much to see and do at Gettysburg for so short a time frame.

 

[Ole Miss]

Prior to your visit to Gettysburg and/or Antietam I would suggest reading the US Army's Staff Ride Guides. They will provide an overview of the events leading up to both battles with helpful maps. They are free and can be secured at the sites listed below. I also listed a prior thread with additional US Army Staff Guides that are available.
I certainly hope you have a great visit!
Regards
David
https://history.army.mil/html/books/035/35-3-1/cmhPub_35-3-1.pdf
https://history.army.mil/staffRides/_docs/staffRide_Gettysburg.pdf

U.S. Army’s Center of Military History Staff Ride Guides | Traveler's Companion - Visit Historic Sites

I have been using the U.S. Army’s Center of Military History’s Staff Ride Guides as a source of information and have found them to be invaluable for information and assistance in analyzing aspects of that battle. I thought I would share these documents for others who desire to really study one...

civilwartalk.com

 

[BillH]

My wife and I are flying out for a similar trip in October. We plan to start in Richmond and motor around VA for a few days, then a day or maybe two at Sharpsburg ;-) then three days at Gettysburg. We've bought a lot of books already. The one piece of advice we keep getting from friends who went to Gettysburg is get a guide and let them explain what you are seeing, esp for your first visit. We plan on doing that too.

 

[poorjack]

Absolutely visit Gettysburg, but know this, because of it's fame, it suffers from a serious case of "monument pollution". There are monuments everywhere. You're close to Sharpsburg/Antietam, and it's pretty much pristine compared to Gettysburg. Visit Sharpsburg with a copy of Antietam: The Photgraphic Legacy of America's Bloodiest Day by William A. Frassanito

 

[kitty o'cairre]

Another excellent guide to Gettysburg is "A Field Guide to Gettysburg" by Carol Reardon and Tom Vossler .

thank you ,! I just ordered it !! =)

 

[Pollaco]

Like any other well traveled place ," Leave only footprints, And take only memories".(and photos)You will take alot of memories.

 

[bankerpapaw]

I would spend 2-3 days at Gettysburg. I would take a day to see Harper's Ferry and Antietam. All three sites are beautiful.

Now at Gettysburg, I would invest in a Gettysburg battlefield guide for as many hours as you can afford. You will be rewarded by an excellent narrative. On Gettysburg, I recommend a good guidebook. I really like the Complete Gettysburg Guide by J.D. Petruzzi. That book has maps on the battle itself, but it also includes stops on field hospitals, rock carvings, historic buildings, and details on both the National Cemetery and the adjacent Evergreen Cemetery. Read the guidebook BEFORE your visit. That book gives plenty advice on seeing interesting things not on most Gettysburg tours.

Gettysburg Stone sentinels is a website that gives a lot of detail. It is a great resource if you want to find specific monuments, markers and historic buildings.

I have done Harper's Ferry and Antietam in one day several times. You can spend a lot more time at Antietam but seeing the sunken Lane and Burnsides Bridge are the highlights.

Obviously CWT is a valuable resource as well. Now if you think Gettysburg is all you need for a CW battlefield. You have Nearby Philadelphia, Baltimore and D.C. That has world class historic sites for history buffs.

Was in Washington D.C. and took a tour to Gettysburg. Lasted two or three hours. Very disappointed because of the length of time. Two or three days wouldn't be near enough. To return to Gettysburg is on my bucket list.

 

[Pete Longstreet]

Thank you all for your advice and recommendations! Much appreciated. I will keep you posted on where and when I visit my first battlefield.